Feeding oneself and other individuals can be a challenging task, requiring coordination beyond that of the average adult, and certainly beyond that of persons with disabilities or other limitations. Many individuals are unable to feed themselves; babies, the elderly, and the disabled frequently require the attention of a skilled individual to spoon-feed them. Food packaged for such special cases require opening at least one package, then using an external device such as a spoon to remove the contents from the package, and ultimately to deliver the contents. Serving foodstuffs such as baby food from conventional packaging requires a great deal of patience, coordination, and is almost assuredly a two-handed affair. As the contents are consumed from a bottle or equivalent, the void space inside the container grows, allowing air to adversely affect the freshness of the contents.
Use of a traditional utensil such as a spoon and traditional packaging is also challenging for children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and physically challenged individuals to use. Holding the container steady while scooping the contents, holding the spoon steady while delivering the contents to the recipient, all require concentration and skill the can exceed the capabilities of many. The utensils associated with conventional eating means must be washed after every minor use, which is a particular inconvenience during such activities as traveling, picnics, and other occasions where typical kitchen amenities are not present.
Another shortcoming of conventional packaging and utensil configurations is the inability to accurately measure the dispensed quantity. Measuring spoons typically use the absolute limit of their capacity as the measuring feature, requiring transfer of a completely full spoon—precarious at best. Measuring cups provide some relief, but very viscous foodstuffs such as peanut butter and cream cheese are difficult to measure this way since an accurate measurement may only be achieved by packing the product, which is messy and causes further measurement inaccuracies. A solution to accurate measurement and use of foodstuffs is particularly pertinent for portion control, dieting, and restaurant settings where consistency is important.